Going for garlic
Garlic is a doddle to get right, so what are you waiting for? Bob explains how to get more from an easy-growing staple
SO what’s the best vegetable for anyone to start with? Is it, say, potatoes, beans or courgettes? An argument can be made for almost any crop – after all, we’ve learned to grow only those proving most reliable without specialised conditions. Only commercial horticulturists regularly produce blanched heads of celery (and only on certain soils); the rest of us will likely desist after early attempts.
Workload is also important; potatoes are seldom light work for a decent yield. Runner beans need a framework constructing, and you may find courgettes become an embarrassment. So when you add value into the equation there’s only one contender left, and that’s garlic, – which is incredibly expensive per kilo.
What’s more, garlic is just about the simplest crop to grow. You pop cloves in holes in the ground, and that’s about it. A clove is a segment from a garlic bulb (ideally, this will not be kitchen garlic but instead, to prevent carrying in pests or diseases, one certified clean sold by garden centres or seed companies.) Dib holes to finger depth so as not to push the cloves in, as that might damage the basal plates where roots emerge. But really, that’s about it: come back next summer, and you dig up a whole bulb. Obviously, when your soil is rich and moist, the weeds controlled and the site sunny, then you’ll get huge specimens. If poor, dry and shady, with weeds, then you’ll get small ones, though still usable and just as pungent. Indeed, it’s hard to fail with garlic, and easy to grow better by improving those conditions. Garlic is even forgiving as to timing, as you can plant cloves almost any day of the year – though during the next few weeks gives the best returns. Oh yes, please do remember to lift your harvest before the leaves wither away, or you’ll be ages finding them all!